Foldable ladder.



A. BROWN.

FOLDABLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1911.

1,251,334.. Patented Dec. 25,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BROWN, OF PHILIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR. OF ONE-HALF 'IO RICHARD E. TALBO'I'T, OF PHILIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA.

FOLDABLE LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Application filed February 19, 1917. Serial No. 149,603.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philippi, in the county of Barbour and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Ladders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to foldable ladders, for use as fire-escapes and for other purposes, and formed of wire links and metallic rungs; and it consists in providing certain of the rungs with rearwardly projecting end portions as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of portions of a ladder constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the ladder when folded. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the rungs having projecting end portions, and is drawn to a larger scale.

The top end of the ladder is provided with eyes 6 for engaging with stationary hooks 2, but any other approved means may be used for suspending the ladder when in use. The ladder may be constructed in various ways but it is always provided with links 4 formed of wire and arranged in pairs. These links have eyes 5 and 6 at their ends which are pivoted together so that the ladder can be folded up as shown in Fig. 3. The ladder is provided with rungs 8 which are preferably angle-shaped in cross-section, but which may be made of other crosssection, and these rungs are secured in loops 15 formed in the links adjacent to the eyes 6 which are arranged at the bottom ends of all the links except the top pair, which are inverted.

The upper end portion of the ladder is also preferably provided with a short rung 18 supported by auxiliary links 19 and arranged about on a level with the lower ends of the top links A. The top end portion of the ladder also preferably has braces 2A ar-- ranged between an eye 20, secured to the middle part of the top rung, and the eyes 5 of the second pair of links.

The next rung below the second rung 18, and the next rung above the bottom rung are preferably formed of flat bars 12 secured in loops 15 in a similar manner to the rungs 8, and having rearwardly projecting end portions or lugs 14. The middle portion of the ladder in Figs. 1 and 2 is omitted, as the links and rungs are all alike, and the ladder can be made of any desired length. Additional bars 12 can be provided if desired. Between the two 'bars 12 as shown an uneven number of pairs of links is provided. The projections 14: of the said bars project rearwardly and hold the bars 12 clear of the wall when the ladder hangs from a window-sill. When the ladder is folded up these projections 14 project crosswise of and overlap the ends of the rungs 8, which rungs are shorter than the bars 12, as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby serve as guides which hold the links in position so that the ladder may be quickly unfolded. By providing an uneven number of pairs of links between those which have the rungs 12 secured to them, the lugs or arms 14 project crosswise of the links in opposite directions, and overlap the ends of the rungs 8 when the ladder is folded up, and the arms 14 project in the same direction when the ladder is unfolded. These projections preserve the links and rungs of the ladder from being injured, bent, or tangled in any way, which is very important in a ladder which is provided for use as a fire-escape.

The ladder is also held by these projec' tions in a conveniently compact form so that it can be shipped by mail without boxing it, any suitable band being fastened around it to hold it from becoming unfolded in transit.

\Vhat I claim is:

A foldable ladder comprising a series of pivoted links arranged in pairs, a rung secured to each pair of links, one rung at each end portion of the ladder being longer than the intervening rungs and having lateral guide arms at its ends, and an uneven number of pairs of links being provided between those to which the longer rungs are secured, said guide arms being arranged to project in opposite directions and to overlap the ends of the intervening rungs when the ladder is folded up.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

ALBERT BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. 

